Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.8

Translators: sujato and bodhi

Linked Discourses 2.8

1. Paṭhamavagga
Chapter One

Tāyanasutta

With Tāyana Tāyana

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Then, late at night, the glorious god Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side,
Then, when the night had advanced, the young deva Tāyana, formerly the founder of a religious sect, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:
Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, stood to one side, and recited these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

“Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
“Strive and cut the stream!
“Having exerted oneself, cut the stream!

kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;
Dispel sensual pleasures, brahmin.
Dispel sensual desires, O brahmin!

Nappahāya munī kāme,
A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures
Without having abandoned sensual desires,

nekattamupapajjati.
is not reborn in a unified state.
A sage does not reach unity.

Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,
If one is to do what should be done,
“If one would do what should be done,

daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;
one should staunchly strive.
One should firmly exert oneself.

Sithilo hi paribbājo,
For the life gone forth when laxly led
For a slack wanderer’s life

bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
just stirs up dust all the more.
Only scatters more dust.

Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,
A bad deed is better left undone,
“Better left undone is the misdeed,

pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;
for it will plague you later on.
A deed that later brings repentance.

Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,
A good deed is better done,
Better done is the good deed

yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
one that does not plague you.
Which when done is not repented.

Kuso yathā duggahito,
When kusa grass is wrongly grasped
“As kusa-grass, wrongly grasped,

hatthamevānukantati;
it only cuts the hand.
Only cuts one’s hand,

Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,
So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,
So the ascetic life, wrongly taken up,

nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.
drags you to hell.
Drags one down to hell.

Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,
Any lax act,
“Any deed that is slackly done,

saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;
any corrupt observance,
Any corrupted vow,

Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,
or suspicious spiritual life,
A holy life that breeds suspicion,

na taṁ hoti mahapphalan”ti.
is not very fruitful.”
Does not yield great fruit.

Idamavoca tāyano devaputto;
That’s what the god Tāyana said.
” This is what the young deva Tāyana said.

idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.
Having said this, he paid homage to the Blessed One and, keeping him on the right, he disappeared right there.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.
Then, when the night had passed, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus,

“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
“Mendicants, tonight, the glorious god Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side,
last night, when the night had advanced, the young deva Tāyana, formerly the founder of a religious sect . approached me .

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
and recited these verses in my presence.” The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:
and in my presence recited these verses:

‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,
“‘Having exerted oneself, cut the stream!…

kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;

Nappahāya munī kāme,

nekattamupapajjati.

Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,

daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;

Sithilo hi paribbājo,

bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,

pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;

Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,

yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

Kuso yathā duggahito,

hatthamevānukantati;

Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,

nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,

saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;

Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,

na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.
Does not yield great fruit.’

Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.
“That’s what the god Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.
“This is what the young deva Tāyana said. Having said this, he paid homage to me and, keeping me on the right, he disappeared right there.

Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;
Mendicants, learn the verses of Tāyana!
Learn Tāyana’s verses, bhikkhus.

pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;
Memorize the verses of Tāyana!
Master Tāyana’s verses, bhikkhus.

dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā.
Remember the verses of Tāyana!
Remember Tāyana’s verses, bhikkhus.

Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā”ti.
These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”
Tāyana’s verses are beneficial, bhikkhus, they pertain to the fundamentals of the holy life. ”